The Toronto Blue Jays (22-27) are scraping the bottom of the American League East division, but have cobbled up a few wins lately to remain just four games behind of division leaders, New York Yankees. As for the Minnesota Twins, they’re completely shocking the entire majors right now by going 10 games above .500 (28-18), good for No. 1 in the AL Central. Read on for a detailed preview of this game. You can also click here for an overview of tonight’s matchup between the Marlins and the Mets.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins Preview
Where: Target Field, Minneapolis
When: Friday, May 29, 2015, 8:10 PM ET
Line: Toronto Blue Jays (-102) vs. Minnesota Twins (-108); total: 9.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Toronto Blue Jays
Josh Donaldson can hit anything these days. And with a matchup against the Twins later tonight, he’ll surely be licking his chops at the prospect of crushing Minnesota again.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Donaldson has usually been at his best when he faces Minnesota, as he keeps a career slash line of .414/.469/.690 against the Twins. In seven meetings with Minnesota last season, Donaldson hit .414 (12-for-29) as an Oakland Athletic. But aside from his knack for hitting well against Minnesota, Donaldson’s confidence entering tonight’s game will be buoyed by his superb performance of late. The third baseman has gone 7-for-11 with four home runs and seven RBIs in the previous three-game set against the White Sox. With Donaldson leading the way, Toronto has scored 27 runs over the team’s last four games.
The Blue Jays’ offense will have to keep it up, especially with a struggling Mark Buehrle (5-4, 5.13 ERA) on the mound tonight. Buehrle received a loss in his last start, wherein he allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings of work in the Blue Jays’ 3-2 defeat to Seattle. Buehrle, however, has pitched well at Target Field in his career, as he has a 2-2 record with a 1.20 ERA and .080 WHIP in Minneapolis
The under is 3-1 in Buehrle’s last four starts overall.
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Betting on the Minnesota Twins
You can’t talk about this season’s early surprises without touching on the Twins, who’s been on a roll right now. The Twins took advantage of Kansas City’s current skid, as they stitched together five-straight wins to cop the AL Central’s top spot. As of this writing, Minnesota is +2,200 to win the AL pennant.
One of the keys for Minnesota’s success of late has been the team’s pitching staff that played a big part in limiting opponents down to just 2.2 runs per game over the Twins’ five-game win streak. Among those who started for the Twins during that stretch was Trevor May (3-3, 4.95 ERA), who received a win in Minnesota’s 4-3 victory over the White Sox on May 23. In that game, May pitched for seven innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with nine strikeouts. Minnesota is 5-2 in May’s last seven starts overall. Minnesota is 3-1 in May’s last four home starts.
Torii Hunter, meanwhile, will bank on his familiarity with Buehrle. Of all hitters on the Twins’ lineup, Hunter has faced Buehrle the most with over 90 at-bats in his career opposite the Toronto starter. Hunter is 23-for-93 (.247) with three homers and 16 RBIs in his career against Buehrle. Kurt Suzuki, on the other hand, is 11-for-28 (.393) in the same matchup.
Writer’s Prediction
Toronto (-102) wins, 6-4.
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